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Kentucky Basketball: Which Current College/NBA Coaches Would Succeed at Kentucky?

By Frank Spencer

Mar 26, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari walks off the court after losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the finals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. North Carolina won 75-73. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari walks off the court after losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the finals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. North Carolina won 75-73. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kentucky Basketball
Sep 26, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens during media day at the Boston Celtic Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Brad Stevens (Boston Celtics)

The last name on our list is probably the best possible candidate to one day replace John Calipari. Brad Stevens has made a name for himself as a top tier coach at the highest level of the game. He has taken his Boston Celtics to the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the NBA Playoffs.

Fans can remember Stevens as the head man at Butler for six seasons. Stevens racked up a 166-49 record as the head coach of the Bulldogs. With his success at the small school, Stevens exhibits what every team needs in an “X’s and O’s” type of coach. At Kentucky, Stevens would be considered a meticulous personality that can take the Wildcats to where they want to go. Stevens has experience in the NCAA Tournament. More than most would consider, Brad Stevens led the Butler Bulldogs to five NCAA Tournament appearances in his time at the University. Two of those seasons, Stevens’ squads worked their way to back-to-back Final Fours in 2010 and 2011.

The NBA

As a coach in the NBA, Stevens has made a name for himself as one of the top names in the profession. You won’t see Stevens running up and down the sidelines yelling and screaming. Brad Stevens is a manipulator of the game in every sense. He is a leader of men and exactly what Kentucky needs to replace the Hall of Fame coach John Calipari.

The spotlight will not be an issue for Stevens. If there would be a weakness and unproven aspect of Stevens at Kentucky it would be recruiting. At Butler, Brad Stevens didn’t get the chance to land many top recruits. With the exception of Gordon Hayward, Stevens would likely have to learn the ins and outs of recruiting to land top tier talent. Stevens would fit in well in Lexington.

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